Policeman and the cat

44 - Just 9

[I agree with all of them,] Bermont added. [Ambrosia gets better the more skilled you become. Knowing and playing around with differently aligned aether will help you test out more options, being better at magic will help you infuse more properties, but it is most important to drink a lot and make a lot, that's how you find your taste and discover how to make ambrosia you would love even more.]

[Thank you, my only problem might be that with the way I'm acting when drunk I won't have many opportunities to drink.] Ian figured it was best to honestly admit, that's why feedback was so valuable.

[You can come to my place for that,] Bermont said. [And if I'm out, then go visit dwarves with a few barrels, they act no different than you do when drunk and they are happy to drink anytime.]

As for how to visit either of them - Bermont put a ring on Ian's thumb. Since Ian can speak in dragon language, then he should be able to use the artifact to resonate with him, Bermont will tell if he's available and where to go. How to resonate - bite into his thumb and send a message just how they are doing now. (Ian figured it was best to do it when alone, ought to look rather weird for those who don't know - licking a ring and all.)

About dwarves - Ian had apparently out-drunk three elder dwarves so far, he can go to any of their places, knock at the gate, then just say who he is and that he's seeking drinking companions.

[The game of keeping secrets won't be compromised by them.] Bermont seemed majorly amused about that.

[The game, huh?] Ian was no longer sure how the game worked.

[You love me because I'm ticklish, that's the best I've heard a human say about me,] he was very amused.

Looked like the dumb stuff he had blurted out had made its rounds along with Kenneth's excuse and-- Kenneth had been right about dragon language being on the secret side of things then, but if it was so convenient and-- [I wonder why dragon language isn't a common practice,] he noted.

[You can't use it with those you do not like, you can't accept it if you don't like the sender,] Bermont replied.

Huuh, well, Ian was happy to hear Bermont and Kenneth liked him then. So it was a test of liking or disliking someone at the same time as well. Ian didn't want to-- well, try this with anyone he did not like to begin with, though, but it might be a sad realization to 'kiss' someone only to find they did not like you.

[Emotionally scary to use, huh?] Ian noted. Did Kenneth know about this?

Bermont pulled back, bursting into a laugh. And he kept laughing while they accepted some freshly baked bread and a warm drink from a kid with white angel wings called Alan, who passed by saying the same thing Kiri had said last time - "Don't worry if you are lacking memories, this is normal." But he also added that - "I hear they return in small bits the more you learn about the event from others."

Kenneth walked up, taking some food along the way - "Back at tickling Bermont, I see," he said, sitting down nearby.

"Too much tickling for one day," Bermont said, then put up a hand in a 'see you' gesture, running off to find Gertrude. There were a lot of people around, they had been lost in their little world, but somewhere in the background Cassis was asking something to August, people were having rowdy conversations and this was what he had likely missed out on at the previous event. The bottom of the lake was silent, they could sleep as much as they needed, but here it wasn't so easy.

"Morning," Ian said to Kenneth and noticed that Chilli was holding her phone again, but she put it away and sat down on his shoulder now.

"Morning," Kenneth returned. "Need some stats about what you three did?" Kenneth sipped his drink and upon getting confirming nods, he said - "425 battles, gold and platinum ranks decided they won't let a newbie get cocky," he said with a grin. "You won against a gold-rank mage called Adelyn Durant by shooting her down using water spears. She now owes everyone drinks."